Chinese Athletes & Sporting Icons
The icons of Chinese sport
Featured icons
Stories
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Deng Yaping: Too Small to Fail — How China's Shortest Champion Reinvented the Game
The story of the Chinese table tennis player rejected for being 1.50m tall, who won four Olympic golds, reigned eight years as world No.1, earned a Cambridge PhD — and spent a lifetime outgrowing the measurement that was supposed to end her.
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Li Na: The Individual — Tennis, Rebellion, and the Price of Independence
The story of the Chinese tennis player who left the system that made her, won two Grand Slams on her own terms, and became the most defiant athlete modern China has produced.
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Li Ning: From Prince of Gymnastics to His Own Name — How a Champion Built a Second Life Beyond the Medals
Discover how Li Ning won six Olympic medals, had gymnastics elements named after him, and built a Chinese sportswear brand after retiring from competition.
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Liu Xiang: The Race, the Injury, and the Weight of a Nation
The story of the Chinese hurdler who became an Olympic champion, a world record holder, and one of the most recognisable athletes in modern China.
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Ma Long: The Dictator — How the Greatest Player in Table Tennis Outwaited a Generation
Ma Long won six Olympic golds, more than any Chinese athlete, yet was told his forehand wasn't powerful enough. He answered by outwaiting a generation and becoming the most complete player.
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Xu Haifeng: China's First Olympic Gold Medalist and the Coach Who Kept Breaking New Ground
Xu Haifeng won China's first Olympic gold medal in 1984. Explore his journey from pistol shooter to national team coach and modern pentathlon administrator.
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Yao Ming: The Man China Sent to the World — Becoming the Person a Country Expects to Succeed
The story of the 7-foot-6 Shanghai centre who was the first overall pick of the 2002 NBA draft, became an eight-time All-Star and a Hall of Famer, and carried the weight of a nation's expectation — the only figure in this series with no Olympic medal, and the most important of them all.